Shoe



T. G. LLOYD,

SHOE.

APPL'lCAT lON man Aue.l1. 1921.

1,427,607, Patented Aug. 29, 1922-.

2 SHEETSSHET l.

T. C. LLOYD.

SHOE.

APPLICATION FILED Auenl, 1921.

Mi 0 2M.

Patented M29, 1922@ 2 shins-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS C. LLOYD, OIE PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO IRVING DREW COMPANY, OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SHOE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1922..

Application filed August 17, 1921. Serial No. 492,996.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TrroMAs C. LLOYD, a citizen of the United States, and resident of 'Portsmouth, in the county of Scioto and provide a construction, particularly at the shank, which will maintain the shape, design and appearance of the shoe and which will also enable anattractive bottom finish and appearance to be given and maintained. It is customary to employ a metallic shank stiffener between the insole and outsole of such shoes, which stiffener is secured either to the insole, or to the outsole, and aids in maintaining the desired arch at the shank.

In my patent on a design for shoe shank, to provide a desired bottom finish of novel form and appearance, No. 59,849 November 29, 1921, I have illustrated my novel shank design as appearing on the shoe bottom and affording an attractive appearance. In my present application I have elected to claim theboot or shoe construction which is desirable and necessary to carry. out the appearance of said design application.

In carrying out my present invention I also provide a novel combination of shoe shank stiffeners, employing a plurality of cooperating shank stiffening members, pre

ferably metallic or partly metallic, one of such stiffening members being affixed to the outsole and'one being afiixed'to the insole, and both cooperating to produce the desired shank stiffening construction and to conform the outsole throughout the arch or shank into a plurality of distinct angular planes.

This arrangement of a plurality of shank stiffening members is important and I am advised is'distinctly novel and it has the very desirable feature of enabling me to utilize one shank stiffener member, 1. e., that adjacent the outsole, to maintainthe outsole in its desired form, for bottom finish, etc.; while the stiffener member secured to the insole may be of special form to give rigidity to the entire shank. Each member being secured to a sole portion also affords a bearing surface longitudinally of the shank for each member to act as a cooperatingtruss-like structure and thus afford the greatest possible strength, for material utilized, in the shoe.

In my present improved form of shoe I prefer to so construct the shoe that the bottom of the outsole, particularly along the arch and shank shall have a plurality of surfaces, as illustrated in my said design patent and as shown in'the accompanying drawings. In this plurality of surfaces, I prefer to form an angular face or surface from the edgeportions of the outsole in wardly, and provide an intermediate substantially horizontal plane surface, which separates and defines the angular faces. This also enables me to provide an attractive and distinctive bottom finish to the shoe. Thus for example, I can finish the angular surfaces presented by my novel construction in varying colors or in cooperating styles of finish. I believe that this arrangement of having a shank construction and bottom finish so arranged as to present a plurality of colors or finishes, to be a distinct novelty, and I wish to claim the same broadly herein. This feature is furthermore desirable as affording a species of trademark distinction, enabling the customer to instantly recognize my type of shoe or shoes, characterized by this type of manufacture.

I also believe that the provision of a shoe whereby a plurality of three planes meet in the shank for distinctive finishes, greater strength, and attractiveness, is a distinct novelty, and I wish to claim the same broadly. I am aware of prior constructions wherein the ridge is presented in the shank but this is not comparable to my construction'of a plurality of three or more distinct planes, each capable of receiving distinctive finishes for appearance and also enabling a desirable, strong multiplicity of shank stiffener members, one for the insole and one for the outsole, to be utilized as above noted.

In manufacturing my improved shoe I prefer to carry out the'same by my novel process, which consists, briefly, in first attaching one shank stiffenerwhich may be of any suitable, desirable or special construction or of standard commercial types, whether of metal, leatherboard, fiber or a combination of the sameto the insole, this stiffener member being preferably for the purposes of strength. I then assemble the insole on the last with the upper materials, last the upper materials thereto and if a welt shoe construction is employedas herein illustrated in the drawingsI then sew the insole, upper and welt together. Thereupon I prepare the outsole by attaching to the outsole the second siank stiffener mcmher, in position to cooperate with the insole shank stiffener and so form the outsole shank stiffener that it will aid in main taining and conforming the outsole into the triple plane surfaces above explained. Any desired shoe filler is then applied, the outsole affixed, the shoe leveled. and the outsole stitched to the welt, and the shoe then finished, with any desired combination of shoe botom finish, coloring, inking, buffing or the like utilized on the three planes in the shank. Ordinarily I will finish the two outermost angular faces of the shank to correspond with the edge finish of the outsole and apply a different colored finish to the intermediate central plane surface. Thus in making a shoe of black leather, the edge of the sole is inked or blacked and the two outermost angular planes in the shank would be similarly inked or blacked, while the intermediate or middle shank plane would be buffed or otherwise finished. In making a tan shoe with the edge of the outsole finished in this color, the two angular surfaces could be and preferably would be similarly finished and the central intermediate plane varied, to impart a distinctive coloring. The three planes in the shank themselves afford a sufficient distinctive appearance to be attractive without different coloring, but I also desire to claim the varying colors which can thus be applied advantageously.

Referring to the drawings, showing a preferred embodiment of my improved boot or shoe, and illustrating the process of making same,

Fig. 1 is a side view of the completed shoe;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view showing the varying planes of the shank;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial plan view illustrating the inside of the outsole and the shank stiffener thereto applied;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating the shank and heel portion of a welt insole with the shank stiffener applied;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlargedcrosssectional view showing the completed shoe shank construction; and

Fig. 6 is a view, greatly enlarged, of a transverse section through the insole, plurality of shank stiffeners, and outsole, before the upper and welt are applied.

It will be appreciated that my novel construction is equally applicable for any desirable style, finish or standard type of shoe construction, but is of special value in rela tively high ieeled shoes and ladies footwear, particularly Goodyear welts. My shoe is also made by usualboot and shoe machines and with but slight variation in the ordinary manufacturing processes as now well developed and generally understood and employed. The shoe comprises upper materials 1, by which I designate both the upper and lining, heel 2, outsole 3, and insole 4:. The insoL be of any desired form or type, Gem or otherwise, that as herein illustrated being a typical leather insole having a sewing rib 6 cut therein and turned upwardlyv to receive the inseam stitching. To this insole I secure a shank stifiener, which may be of any suitable type, form or construction. Preferably I employ a shank stiffener of the type illustrated, having a metallic member 10 and a base 11. This base member 11 may also be metal or fiber and may be flat or curved to afford additional strength and support to the member 10. These two members are secured together by suitable rivets 12, 12, and are united to the insole by studs, rivets, or the like 14, it. I may also desire to apply a small tread member 15 to cover and receive the extreme end of the forward part of the shank stiffener, but this is optional. 7

To the outsole 8 I apply aseparate shank stiffening member 16, this being substantially flat and secured to the outsole by spurs 17, 17, or otherwise. This member 16 is also ofsuitable form to aid in maintaining the plurality of planes in the outsole, as above described. These planes or surfaces comprise an intermediate or approximately central surface 20, which may be and preferably is a straight plane surface following the contour of'the central part of the shank and at either sideI form angular surfaces 21 and 22, which may be fiat or curved and which extend from the central or intermediate plane 20 to the outer edges of the sole.

My novel process of thus forming the shank portion with such plurality of surfaces and by means of a plurality of cooperating shank stiffening members, is thus readily and easily carried out. No special machines or unusual operations are requisite, The shoe is assembled, pulled over, lasted, inseam stitching applied and the filler and outsole are affixed, stitched and the shoe completed in the usual manner for making such footwear.

With the plurality of three or more surfaces thus presented in the shank of the shoe it is a comparatively easy operation to finish the same in varying or varied distinctive colors or finishes, which would be impossible without this shoe construction. These distinctive planes and distinctive bot tom finishes also conceal the unusually strong shank construction presented, In fact the thickness of the shank thus formed by such plurality of shank stiffening members is advantageous in forming the plurality of plane surfaces as above described.

It will be appreciated that I am not limited to welt shoe construction in carrying out my invention, but the same can be employed in lflcKay shoe construction or any special type wherein an insole and outsole are utilized, although my novel feature of having a plurality of three or more distinctive planes in the shank is not limited to any shoe construction.

The use of the two shank stiffening members, while capable of being applied to and attached to the insole and to the outsole as above explained, may be otherwise appliet if desired. Thus, I may tack the insole to the last, then pull over and last the upper, then apply and sew the welt, upper and insole together, and thereupon attach the inner shank stiffener to the insole, and also apply the outer shank stiffener to the shoe as thus tar completed. Or I may separately mold the outsole and outer shank stifi'ener together and then apply these two members to the lasted shoe with the outsole and outer shank stiffener either attached or merely assembled in molded position.

My invention is further described and defined in the form of claim as follows:

A boot or shoe having a plurality of separate shank stifiening members, one secured to the insole and the other to the outsole, the stiffening member secured to the insole being comprised of a spring base member secured at each end to the insole, and an underlying stiffening plate U-shaped in cross section substantially throughout its length and secured to said spring base member, a rigid stiffening plate of predetermined contour secured to the face of the outsole and cooperating with the stiliening member secured to the insole to produce a stincture that imparts rigidity to the shank of the shoe, and of itself assists in forming the outsole at the shank portion into three planes, one of said planes being substantially central or the other planes, which other planes extend angularly from the central plane to the respective sole edges.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

THOMAS C. LLOYD. 

